Oldham Council could be taken over by UK Government officials later this year after another meeting failed to break through a deadlock. There has been nobody in charge of the local authority since May, when the local elections left the council deadlocked and no party with a majority. In multiple meetings in the months since, no councillor has secured the majority of votes needed to lead the authority amid escalating acrimony between the political parties, with officers continuing to use emergency powers just to keep services running.
Legal declaration and failed proposals
On July 31, Oldham Council officially declared it was breaking the law as it had no leader or cabinet, giving councillors 21 days to 'consider the implications' before an extraordinary council meeting for councillors to meet and once again attempt to elect a leader and cabinet. However, in the latest meeting on August 20, seven proposals were all put forward to break the deadlock - and all failed to pass. Labour and Reform put forward bids to form a minority administration, as well as an alliance made up of smaller parties and an independent councillor.
Reform also put forward proposals that would see all councillors elected at the ballot box in May 2027, arguing it should be up to the people to decide. However other parties said it was not a 'quick fix' and 'passing the buck', as the council still needs a leader over the next nine months. A move to all out elections is also understood to need Parliamentary approval in order to go ahead. Oldham Council currently elects its members in thirds.
Official warning and potential intervention
The meeting on Wednesday (August 20) was called because of a report by the council’s top legal officer, Alex Bougatef, who said it was his legal duty to declare the local authority was breaking the law. He warned that while there were no immediate risks, there could be 'significant' financial costs coming down the line. Presenting the report, Mr Bougatef said the lack of anyone in charge raised serious concerns about decision making, accountability, and effective governance, adding: “The appointment of a leader is not optional. It’s a statutory requirement.”
And Mr Bougatef's declaration, which came in a Section 5 Report, set in motion a process that could now see outside intervention after no solution was found at the meeting on August 20. Commissioners are officials sent by the Government to help run councils deemed to be failing or breaking the law with little local say. However, they are often brought in when a council goes effectively bankrupt, with commissioners being imposed due to an unshifting political quarrel like Oldham's thought to be a first which could cost £1,200 or more a day.
Concerns over services and governance
Conservative councillor Beth Sharp said: “Doing nothing comes at a cost and that cost isn’t being paid by us. It’s paid for by the residents who elected us,” adding: “At the end of the day, residents do not care who won the argument, they care whether their council works.” Chief executive Shelley Kipling said that while council services are continuing as they did before, the lack of a leader or elected members in key roles puts at risk how key children's and adults services are assessed and meant the authority was not being represented at a Greater Manchester level. This could mean the borough could miss out on key opportunities and funding.
In a plea to members, she said: “I am hopeful we can find a way forward that reflects an immense amount of work that has gone on behind the scenes.” In response to a question later in the meeting, she said the UK Government had escalated their oversight of the situation in recent weeks, telling councillors this suggested an ‘anticipation of a requirement for government intervention or greater more formalised support’.
In the meeting, councillors criticised the borough’s ‘toxic’ politics where elected members faced ‘abusive behaviour’ and ‘hostility’ and ‘unfair aggression’. However quickly there were rows between members and claims the council was ‘the worst it’s ever been’. There were allegations of personal attacks and lying as a majority of elected members struggled to any agreement. At one point, independent councillor Brian Hobin said: “It’s getting personal, it’s getting nasty and we are not getting anywhere.”
As a result of the deadlock, officers will now request for the government to intervene in the coming weeks. Following the meeting, a council spokesperson said: "Council services continue to operate as normal, and arrangements remain in place to ensure the Council can fulfil its statutory responsibilities and continue delivering for residents, communities and partners across the borough. We will now await further correspondence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government."
